Scotland

Scotland in spring was amazing. The expansive sunny views all the way to the horizon were
remarkable. I bring droughts wherever I go so this was pretty good for Scotland. This is the way it
was for four days except for one downpour, and we made the most of it!

Destination: Fife, my mother’s home county, a Kingdom of yore, and Broughty Ferry where my
cousin lives. From the airport we went straight to our base in Broughty Ferry and daytripped to
Anstruther, Crail, and St. Andrews.

Gorse was in full bloom, cascading down hillsides. Taking narrow roads between stone walls, we
made our way to the east coast of Fife, then up the coast, stopping along the way for haddock and
chips at the famous Anstruther Fish Bar and ice cream in St. Andrew’s before visiting a huge
antique market and shop. We couldn’t believe the wonderfully warm and sunny weather. Scotland
sparkled and we watched eider ducks swimming and diving, walked by the sea, and happily
finished our explorations at the market.

My cousin and her partner have an artistic partnership also, sharing a cabinet at the market. He
makes necklaces and earrings with ancient Roman and Egyptian beads and she makes cards
evocative of the Scottish landscape. For a couple of hours, we were engrossed in seeing what
everyone had to offer, then went to the restaurant and gift shop. I think I had haddock and chips.

Broughty Ferry was a wealthy neighbourhood on the edge of Dundee. There is a splendid beach
with dunes, a castle, and the town consists of many magnificent stone houses surrounded by great
green yards and parks. The centre is small with interesting shops and restaurants.

We also spent a full day in Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Botanical Gardens are well worth visiting.
Friends who met as students working there recommended that, besides the glasshouses, we visit
the rock gardens which are spectacular in spring. Our first move on arrival was to have a lunch at
the restaurant at the entrance. It was a beauty with table service and a menu that made it hard to
choose because it all looked good. Haddock and chips for me! Once fortified, we were ready for
the afternoon in the gardens. We could easily spend all day here.

On our own in Edinburgh we visited Holyrood at the bottom of the Royal Mile. The castle is at the
top. I chose an audio guide which was best I’ve yet experienced, and learned as much as, or as
little as, I wanted. I found the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, most intriguing. I admired her fine
needlework and history came to life.

It was soon time to come home to rainy Groningen where it’s surprisingly hard to get haddock and
chips. Here are our memories of Scotland – in pictures!